When American Airlines wanted to reach busy college students at the University of Texas, and get them to sign up for their AAdvantage Miles plan they knew they needed a unique approach, so they turned to EMC for some cutting edge out of home advertising.
A team of branded segways targeted areas around the campus. The mobility of the segways allowed the team to get right in the middle of the crowds of students as they moved between classes, dorms, apartments, and restaurants and shopping. The segways were branded to promote American Airlines’ contest offering an opportunity for the winner and three friends to share 1,000,000 miles — a big hit with starving college students.
The brand ambassadors were armed with promotional handouts about the contest, as well as info about the program so they could answer questions. They were also equipped with digital data collection tablets to allow students to sign up on the spot.
Probably the most unique element of the campaign was that it offered a “text to enter” option (prominently featured on the segway creative) that engaged students and prompted many of them to enter the contest immediately.
A recent survey by Indiana’s Ball State University showed that 94 percent of college students send and receive text messages, so the texting component was a great way to encourage busy college students to enter the contest.
The text messaging component integrated seamlessly into students’ lives by taking advantage of something they are already doing all the time.
This campaign reached theTexas students with the uniqueness of the segways and the personal interaction of the brand ambassadors. It also gave them several different options (website, data tablet, text message) to engage and enter the contest.
Contact us to learn more about the exciting ways you can put your message directly into your audiences.
